


Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Mask of the Chronicler

by SkyBlueFox



Series: the PMDverse [13]
Category: Pokemon Mystery Dungeon
Genre: Action, Adventure, Explorers of Time/Darkness/Sky, Friendship, Gen, Mystery, POV: Pokemon, Post-Postgame, Talking Pokemon
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-07-07
Packaged: 2018-11-13 08:09:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 14,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11180613
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyBlueFox/pseuds/SkyBlueFox
Summary: Upon receiving a request from a famous historian, the heroes of time and darkness find themselves pulled into another adventure to investigate an ancient, forgotten ruin and the secrets that it holds. All the while, an old explorer struggles with his personal demons, holding a few secrets of his own. What adventures will an exploration team get into this time?A Pokemon Mystery Dungeon novel, set after the events of Explorers of Sky and Beyond the Sky.





	1. Prairie! On the Hunt for a Letter!

"Are you sure about this plan of yours?"

The orange glow of a single torch flickered against the sheets of canvas as a dry, dusty wind swept down the walls of the ruins, sending tiny swirls of dust across the ground, rustling the thick clumps of grass sprouting up around their legs. The moon hung high in the late night sky, occasionally peeking through the gaps in the tent, beams of silvery light shining down onto the quiet camp. Slowly, deliberately, a claw tapped against a wooden table, its owner staring at the pair of Pokemon that stood in front of him. He glanced from one to the other, going from gray fur to bright feathers and back.

"Yes," The blue-plated Pokemon replied, his voice a low rumble as he spoke, eventually letting said claw drop back to his torso as he mulled over his thoughts. The Zoroark in front of him drummed her claws against her forearm, and he let out a weary sigh, easing himself down onto the soft soil and settling in before he continued. "I know it's not perfect, but it's the best I can come up with, especially under the circumstances."

"If you say so, sweetheart," The dark type replied, shaking her head and shrugging casually, licking at the star-shaped marks at the corners of her mouth. She swept her messy mop of headfur with a flick of her paw, twisting around and glancing out at the moonlit ruins dotting the area behind them. "But I still don't see why you won't just go to Treasure Town and ask them outright. I'm not messing around at all for once when I said we know them. You know that, right?"

"No, no, I trust you, I promise," The other Pokemon said hastily, sitting up a little bit straighter to emphasize his point. Then, he sighed again, the featherlike frills on his neck folding flat somewhat. "It isn't like that, and I'm sure you know that. I just..."

He trailed off, glancing all around the tent at the various bits and bobs strewn about the place as he tried to find the right words; dried berries hung from the ceiling on strings, books and scrolls were piled high in one corner, and a small box of charcoal sticks and other supplies rested nearby. He spent so long contemplating that when the yellow-plumed bird next to the Zoroark trotted forward and spoke, he jolted in surprise.

"Sir, I understand you want to keep the place a secret right now, so I'm not worried about that," The Archeops began, the burning torch flickering against the necklace of gemstones around his neck, and he gestured idly towards the wide wall of the tent, craning his neck to stare right into the other Pokemon's eyes. "But what about... you know? You've been avoiding the topic all day."

"I haven't said anything about it yet, no. But..." The blue-plated Pokemon took a deep breath, silently thanking the bird for changing the topic. He briefly shook his head, then stood up and walked around the table, scooping a small satchel up from underneath and walking over to the books and things. "I'm just going to have to deal with it in the morning."

"Alright, sounds good," The Archeops replied, turning to look at his Zoroark partner, who smiled slyly and eased her way to the side, her icy eyes lingering on the older archaeologist's tail. He looked back at him as well, watching him pluck a few of the dried provisions from the rafters, then blinked in realization when the arthropod began to scribble a quick note on a bare sheet of parchment. "Wait a minute, are you leaving right now!?"

"The sooner I leave, the sooner I can set up a meeting. I should be able to make it by sunrise, and I have a contact nearby who can play courier." The Pokemon rolled up the scroll with a nudge of his clawtip and shoved it into his bag. Standing up to his full height, he paused for a moment to peer around his homely little tent... and then walked over to a small patch of dried grass, daintily picking something up and tucking it into a smaller, padded pocket. Tossing the leather strap over his tall neck, he tugged the bag tight against his side and turned towards the pair of Pokemon. "And Star? Vale?"

"Yes, sir?" They both replied, Vale standing neatly at attention, while Star folded her arms and leaned back on the heels of her footpaws.

The blue-plated Pokemon smiled, reassured, and took his first steps out of the camp. "Take care of the place for me. I'll be back soon."

* * *

## Prairie! On the Hunt for a Letter!

* * *

"Bill? Hey... Bill, hey, wake up!"

I jolted at the sound of a warm, soothing voice, blearily winking my eyes open, then shutting them with a wince as the late morning sun poured into my vision. Rolling over on the dry bale of hay, I splayed my arms and legs out, aura tassels slipping wide above my shoulders as I stared at the ceiling... and then a cream-furred muzzle hopped up into view, cocking her head and smiling at me.

"Hehe..." The Ninetales chuckled to herself, ducking into her blue scarf to stifle her laughter, her ruby red eyes sparkling with mirth. Slowly, I pushed myself up into a sit, my tail wagging against the dried grass as I stretched myself out and looked around the little inn room, the other bed of hay looking as empty as could be. Turning back to my partner, I felt the corners of my mouth twitch upward, and I leaned in to affectionately tousle her ponytail of headfur. "Good morning, sleepyhead!"

"G'morning yourself, Rose," I replied with a grin, pulling her in and snuggling her close, and she hummed happily, stretching her hind legs a bit as she nuzzled against my blunted chestspike. My ears twitched as the muffled sounds of hustling and bustling drifted up from the lower floor of the building, and I brought my paws up to wipe the crusts of sleep from my face. "Haaw, what time is it? Are Cyan and Erin already up?"

"It's just a couple hours before noon." Rose nodded, stepping back to let me swing my legs around and hop off the bed, wiggling my pawpads against the floorboards. Grabbing our treasure bag and polishing our Exploration Team badge, I watched the Ninetales as she padded her way towards the doorway, gesturing at me with a shake of her head. "Cyan and Erin are already eating, but I had them save some while I came to get you. C'mon!"

With a smile, I headed out the doorway, staying hot on the fire type's heels as we headed down the stairway, the old, oak planks creaking underfoot. Crossing through the lobby and into a hall, we walked side by side, the sounds of cheerful chatter and clinking dishes getting louder and louder until we finally entered the next room.

Beams of sunlight streamed into the eatery through glassy windows, illuminating motes of dust that swirled around in the air, and a pleasant mixture of mouthwatering scents wafted all around from the nearby kitchen. Only a handful of Pokemon sat at the few tables set up in the room, some of them gobbling up their food, others burning incense or simply napping in their chairs. My gaze traveled across the room, from left to right, and finally fell onto a Samurott and Mienshao sitting in a small nook, the former waving a massive paw at us.

"Hey, Bill, Rose!" The blue-furred sea lion barked loudly – startling a few of the sleeping folks out of their stupors – and he reached across the table and patted one of the four chairs, snatching up a small loaf of nut-studded bread afterward. "Get th'heck over here, it's getting' cold!"

Rose and I did just that, quickly striding over to the table, and I stared at the spread of food that lay atop the table: a basket of bread and muffins with nuts and dried orans pressed into them, a platter of flaky turnovers that oozed with both gooey pecha nectar and sweet cream, and a large bottle of fresh, cold milk. My partner climbed up onto her seat and lapped at a steaming mug of tea with gusto, and I casually eased into a chair of my own, picking up my plate and serving myself a turnover.

"Jeez, you guys really got a lot of breakfast today, didn't you?" I remarked, lightly patting at the pastry to keep it from scalding my paws. Erin giggled to herself at that, fidgeting in her seat and waving her fur sleeves around, their ends tied in a loop to her wrists as usual.

"Of course, Bill, heeheehee!" The wiry pink mink leaned forward, crumbs flying from her mouth as she replied. "We've been working so much doing all the jobs that mister Nidoking's wanted us to help him with that Rose thought it'd be okay to treat ourselves!"

"Mmhm," Rose added in affirmation, drying her lips on her scarf, her tails fanning out against the back of the chair. She shot Erin a brief, mild look – prompting the Mienshao to finish swallowing her mouthful of muffin – before turning towards me and continuing. "It's our first real day off, so I was thinking that we could spend some time relaxing here in Tiny Town before we head back home to Treasure Town."

"That's good an' all, but we still need t'talk 'bout what we actually want t'do!" Cyan said, folding his arms and tapping a hind paw impatiently on the ground, his horned helmet gleaming in the sunlight coming in from outside. Reaching out, he plucked another loaf of nutbread from the basket, tearing a hunk off with a mighty chomp. "I dunno 'bout you guys, but I figured I'd see if th'chefs here needed any helpin' hands in th'-"

"Cyaaaan!" My eyes flicked towards Erin, who playfully punched the water type's shoulder. He let his neck droop a bit, his brow furrowing in mock-annoyance. The Mienshao wiggled back and forth on her seat, with a muffin in one paw and a glass of milk in the other, her whiskers bouncing around as she chewed away. "It's a day off of work! You're supposed to take days off to rest and relax, not doing more work, silly!"

"An' what exactly do y'want me t'do, then?" The Samurott grumbled, taking a swig of his drink before dropping his chin down into his palms, lightly scratching at his bushy mustache as he grumped, more to himself than anything else. "Sit an' soak in th'hot spring th'whole day 'til I look like an ol' wrinkly grandpa?"

"Yup!" I bit my lip, trying my hardest not to snort at the fighting type's near-immediate answer. My tail swished back and forth happily as I continued to munch on my turnover, smiling to myself as the younger Pokemon nudged Cyan again. "Maybe if you spend enough time in the water you'll look like that old Shaymin elder from a couple months ago! Heeheehee, remember him?"

"I'd be worried if either of you forgot, to be honest," I quipped airily, leaning back in my seat and glancing between the pair of explorers, vivid thoughts of leafy huts and fragrant flowers filling my mind. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw my partner raise her head as well, a curious expression on her face as she waited for me to finish speaking. "But I think I agree with Erin, you ought to just take some time to do nothing and relax, Cyan. Even workaholics need to take breaks, heheheh."

"I think the hot spring sounds like a good idea." We all turned to glance at the Ninetales, who was lightly tapping her paws on the edge of the table, and she looked around at all of us as well, a note of thoughtfulness in her voice. I closed my eyes and basked in the coziness of the cafe, the sounds of clinking and chewing, munching and moving, filling my ears. "We can just spend an hour or two in there, and then we can leave and do something else. Does that sound good?"

"Psst."

My ear flicked at the quiet, secretive hiss, and after a second or two, I opened my eyelids just a crack, stealing a quick glimpse of Erin – the pink mink was pouring herself one more glass of milk, playfully comparing her milk mustache to Cyan's own bushy 'stache. Chuckling inwardly, I dozed off again contentedly, resting my head on the back of the chair, my aura tassels dangling over the end of it.

"Psst. 'Ey. You! Lucario!"

This time the hiss was accompanied by a sharp, tiny claw, repeatedly poking at the back of my shoulder. That got my attention.

Sitting up a little bit straighter, I took a deep breath and twisted around, glancing over my shoulder into the rest of the cafe. A few more Pokemon had wandered in, either from the inn or from outside, settling down at the tables and cheerfully gossping the morning away. I narrowed my eyes as I scanned over the small crowd, explorers and locals alike... and then abruptly received a jab at my side for the trouble.

"Agh-!" I yelped, gritting my teeth, tensing up, and ducking away as a slight ache rolled through my nerves. I could hear Cyan and Erin scooting around the table in confusion, and I glanced over at Rose, who had already hopped down from her chair and was looking low towards the floor. Following her gaze, I stared down at a scruffy-looking mongoose, tracing a line down the yellow stripe that ran all the way from his head to his tail. The Gumshoos stood up tall – or at least, as tall as he could manage, anyway – and impatiently tapped a footpaw. "Huh? Er, hi there."

"'Ey," The rough-accented Pokemon grunted in reply, his eyes shiftily flicking this way and that as he leaned in close, glancing at my partner, then back at me. Behind us, Cyan and Erin shuffled around, the latter peeking over my shoulder while the former craned his neck to stare down the newcomer. "Are youse... Bill 'n Rose? Team Returnuhs?"

I blinked, then smiled confidently, bringing an arm around and tugging on the strap of my backpack, light glinting off of the blue stone embedded in the middle of our Exploration Team badge as I flashed it at the other Pokemon. "That's us. What's the deal? Something wrong?"

"Phew...! Nah, nah, ain't nothin' wrong, 'cept fuh how much of a pain in my tail it's been to track youse all down!" He grouched back at us, looking around one more time before scuttling his way over to Rose's chair. Rose whirled around, opening her mouth in protest, but it was too late; the normal type had seated himself, leaning back and stretching his stubby hindlegs out. "I've been lookin' for youse all day yestuhday, y'know!"

"We were busy workin', that's why!" Cyan shot back, eyeing the mongoose warily, lightly slapping his fan-shaped tail against the floor. "Elder Nidoking's had us runnin' 'round for th'past week doin' all sorts o'odd jobs. An' what's it t'you, anyway, huh?"

"Cyan, please!" Rose raised her voice a tad, whipping her head around and giving the Samurott a firm stare. The younger Pokemon grumbled for a moment, then walked back over to his spot at the table, sitting down to fiddle with his hiking pack. Satisfied, the cream-furred fox turned her eyes to the wily Gumshoos, taking a step forward and bringing a paw up to her scarf. "Yes, sir, we're Team Returners, all four of us. We didn't know that anyone was looking for us... is something the matter?"

"Ain't no danger, if that's what yuh mean," The other Pokemon promptly answered, patting his belly a couple times. Rose cocked her head expectantly, and I leaned back against my own chair, folding my arms against my blunted chestspike. "I'm here to delivuh a message, from the Chronicluh."

"The... the Chronicler!?" Rose's expression morphed into confusion, then into a delighted smile. Her nine fluffy tails began to wave up and down at a quick pace, and she took a couple more steps up to the Gumshoos, briefly glancing at the rest of us as she spoke. "You mean the historian!?"

"Er... Rose? Who's the Chronicler again?" I asked, furrowing my brow as I tried my hardest to think of who the two of them were talking about. Nothing in particular sprang to mind, however, and all I could do was smile sheepishly when Rose turned to look at me, her excitement evident.

"Bill..." The Ninetales muttered, blowing a couple strands of her headfur out of her eyes, then shaking her head as she explained. "The Chronicler's a respected archaeologist! Nobody knows who they are, but they're a specialist in ancient Pokemon and human history and ruins, and they've written a number of books about it, too!"

I stared blankly for a few moments... and then recoiled when my partner's words registered in full, my eyes going as wide as saucers. Human history...? The tension running through my muscles drained away, but the initial shock remained for a little while longer. "I didn't realize that there were Pokemon who went out studying that stuff."

"I hadn't realized I'd never told you about them..." Rose thought aloud, her tails briefly curling and uncurling as she padded over to me. I lightly tousled her headfur, and she leaned into my touch with a sigh. "I guess after we became explorers, I never got the chance to show you all of their books."

"Wow!" We both jolted when Erin piped up, wearing an enormous, ear-to-ear smile as she hopped up and down where she stood, unable to contain her enthusiasm. Cyan glanced over at his friend, unable to hide his own interest in the topic. "That's so cool!"

"Huh! You don't know 'em like I do..." The Gumshoos remarked, shaking his head and sighing as he reached for a turnover, only to balk when Cyan sent him a fierce glare. Pouting unhappily, the other Pokemon twisted around and then wagged his paws, shushing us. "Anyway, shaddup! I'm supposed to be here delivuhing a message, but you ain't even letting me get to the bad news!"

"Bad news?" I said, shaking the thoughts of human historians from my mind and tilting my head a bit, a twitch running down my spine. My tail wagged once, thumping against the chair, and I narrowed my eyes. "What kind of bad news?"

"Ehh... well, yuh see..." He hemmed and hawed a little bit, tapping his claws together before finally mustering up the courage to tell us. "The Chronicluh met up with me and gave me a lettuh fuh youse guys, but while I was cuttin' through the prairie, I... lost it."

"Y'what!?" Cyan twisted his head around and loudly blurted out, and I stole a nervous glance at a couple of the other Pokemon hanging about in the cafe, a couple of them turning to stare at the commotion. Cyan kept griping, even as I made a wave to calm the other breakfasters down. "An' how in th'name o'th'Abyss did y'manage t'lose it, huh?"

"Shaddup, shaddup...!" The scruffy mongoose hastily hunched over, rapidly waving his paws to try and make the Samurott quiet down – thankful for the change in attitude, I followed his lead, patting Cyan's shoulder before gesturing at the rest of the room. The blue-furred sea lion peered around a bit, then grumbled in understanding, a slightly-embarrassed look crossing his features. Erin smiled sweetly and gave the tip of his mustache a tug. "Look, I was tryin' tuh get here fast so I could find youse, but I ran into a bunch of wild Pokemon out in the Lush Prairie and had to ditch all my stuff..."

"...and you need us to head out there and look for the letter ourselves," I finished his sentence for him, earning a stout nod for the trouble, and I tapped a footpaw idly against the floorboards. "So where'd you leave it?"

"Huh! You're quicker on the draw than I figured." The Gumshoos scooted back into Rose's chair, scratching the side of his head in thought. Rose and I both glanced at each other, sharing a mutual dumbfounded look at the old Pokemon's attitude, but quickly focused back on him when he slapped his legs. "They were chasin' me and I passed by this little pond and some trees, and I stashed my bag in a big ol' hollow stump. Sorry for the trouble, but that's all I can help you with. Now, time fuh a nap..."

As the suddenly – suspiciously – sleepy Gumshoos dozed off in his seat, I dusted myself off and turned to Cyan, watching as he shouldered his hiking pack with a quick heave. Erin clambered up on top of the leather bag, laying flat and rooting through her fanny pack, and I turned to Rose, who cocked her head and smiled at me. I grinned cheekily, shrugging and shaking my head.

"Well," I chuckled. "There goes our day off."

* * *

I furrowed my brow as the four of us hiked up one of the gentle hills, bringing my paw up to shield my eyes from the sun and gazing at the open fields spreading out before us, Rose following close by and scanning across the landscape. Dry, footpaw-high grass, ranging from light green to almost yellow, covered the rolling meadow, with the occasional tree or shrub sprouting up from the thin brush. Taking a deep breath, I found myself panting as an oppressively hot summer breeze rolled across the land, the afternoon sun beating down mercilessly.

My ears flicked at the sound of stomping footsteps, and not a moment later, Cyan marched past Rose and I. He drew one of his seamitars and stabbed it into the dirt as he surveyed the area, staring at the mishmash of trees, near and far, that grew on the horizon. Erin rolled onto her belly as she looked around too, and for a few minutes, the four of us stood, admiring the beauty of the Lush Prairie.

"Y'don't really believe that weirdo, do you?" The Samurott broke his silence, letting go of his sword for a moment and patting at his shell helmet, pulling it a little more snugly atop his head. "I'll bet'cha seeds t'scarves that this's jus' a lousy trap!"

"Cyan, why would he make up a story about the Chronicler of all Pokemon if it was just a trap? And say that they were looking for Team Returners in particular?" Rose replied, gently pawing at the ground as she spoke, drawing lines in the loam with her claws. She peered skyward with thoughtful eyes, her tails hanging still behind her. "It's too specific to be a trap, I think. The Chronicler really does want to see us..."

"Besides, there's no outlaw stupid enough to try and pull a dumb stunt like that on us, of all teams," I noted dryly, planting my paws firmly on my hips and winking at my partner, who chuckled and stuck her tongue out at me in return. Letting myself relax, I began to walk again, leading the way into the fertile fields. "So this Chronicler guy's a historian, Rose? What else do you know about 'em?"

"Not very much, aside from what's already common knowledge..." Rose kept pace with me, her ponytail of headfur swishing this way and that in the hot wind. She pulled a face briefly when a few locks slapped their way into her eyes, and she nudged her nose in a vain attempt to shoo the stray strands away. "Ngh-! They're a historian who's written a number of books on human history, culture, that sort of thing. They've also studied ancient Pokemon cultures, too... you remember how I can read footprint runes, right? I learned that from reading one of the Chronicler's books when I was little."

"Hmph! So he mus' be a pretty big deal, then!" Cyan remarked, tapping the flat end of his seamitar against his shoulder as he brought up the rear. "Wonder if th'guild back home's got any of those books too!"

"They might." Rose turned to look over her shoulder at the younger Pokemon. "Most folks aren't really that interested in their work, but for explorers and other historians, they've really pushed the study of humans forward a lot."

"Then what are we waiting for, huh?" Erin abruptly chimed in, planting her footpaws right into Cyan's hiking pack and leapfrogging over the sea lion's head. She bounced a couple times in the grass, her whiskers spreading wide as she smiled hugely, playfully spinning her fur sleeves around all the while. "C'mooooon, we're not gonna find that pond that mister Gumshoos mentioned if we just walk the whole way! Let's... ooh, why don't we play tag? You're it, Cyan!"

Before any of us could react, the crafty Mienshao booped her friend's little pink nose with a brush of her paw, then dashed off into the Lush Prairie, heading for the closest tree. Rose and I both blinked lamely and watched the pink mink go, but quickly shook ourselves back to our senses when Cyan let out an irritated growl and waved his seamitar around in the air.

"Erin!" He yelled at the fighting type. "What do y'think you're doin'? Get back here!"

I felt a grin wiggle its way onto my muzzle, and I skipped forward, sidling past Cyan and giving him a playful shrug, my aura tassels sliding around atop the treasure bag. "Sorry, Cyan. Sounds like you're it!"

I tried desperately to hold in a laugh as I circled around and kicked off into a run, hearing Rose laugh and Cyan let out a befuddled "ehh!?" before both of them charged after me.

The wind gusted loudly past my ears as I chased after Erin, who jumped this way and that in a zig-zag pattern, her fanny pack bumping against her hips with each leap. I inhaled deeply through my nose, then exhaled through my mouth, and focused on the field ahead, eyeing the tall, gnarled oak tree. My partner put on a burst of speed to narrowly avoid a swipe of the Samurott's heavy paw, and soon we were both running together, both of us struggling to keep just out of Cyan's reach; the water type was nearly as quick on the draw, hunched forward and running full-pelt with a competitive smirk.

A flock of wild Starly perked up from the grass, then chirped in dismay and fluttered into the air as the four of us blazed a trail across the field, small shed-feathers drifting through the air as they flew away. I watched one of the gray birds go, sunlight glinting off of my pawspikes as I jogged... and then I barked out a yelp when a small, concentrated gush of water shot through the corner of my vision, just barely going over my head and drenching the ground ahead of us. Glancing over my shoulder, I looked at Cyan, who was sucking in another deep breath, preparing for another water gun.

"So you're going to play like that, huh?" I called out, grinning cheekily when Erin reached the tree, looked around, and then took off in another direction; Rose looked at me, then nodded in concentration, tilting slightly to the side and zooming after the Mienshao. I dug a footpaw into the grass and bounded away from the Samurott, focusing my aura around my paws until a blue, swirling ball of energy formed in my palm. "Well, then try this on for size!"

Before the water type could reply, I lashed forward, flinging the aura sphere at him with all my might before kicking off in the opposite direction that Erin and Rose had gone. Cyan narrowed his eyes when he saw me running, drawing his seamitars and holding them out defensively. I glanced back just in time to watch the aura sphere collide with the blades, the Samurott skidding backwards a couple of inches from the impact.

"What th'-!" Cyan exclaimed; my ears flicked when I heard him start to stomp forward, his footsteps rumbling against the dirt as he pounded after me, letting out a competitive battlecry along the way. "Bill, get back here!"

I did no such thing, inhaling sharply through my nose and letting my instincts take over, glancing around every so often in search of the pond. Spotting a cluster of brush a short ways away, I turned somewhat and made a break for them, glancing around this way and that in case I passed any sign of water or rocks. I wove through the prairie, ducking and dodging my teammate's attacks, panting heavily as the heat from the sun baked into my fur. The treasure bag bounced and jostled against my back with each step I took, and I reached back, trying to paw at one of the side pockets for my canteen – only to freeze when I felt the air around my pawspike whistle.

"Where do y'think you're goin'!?" I whirled around, eyes going wide when I saw the Samurott looming over me, and I pounced backwards, nearly crashing into the bushes. Toppling over, I shuffled my way into the overgrowth, rolling sideways to try and stay hidden. Unable to keep a grin off of my face, I narrowed my eyes and lay still, waiting and watching as Cyan stared at the rustling shrubbery, having lost track of where I'd vanished. He grunted, then began to hack away at the plants with a few rough swings of his swords. "Y'aren't goin' t'hide in there for long!"

Resisting the urge to reply, I held my breath, waiting until he was swinging away from me... and then I pushed against the ground, leaping high into the air above the blue-furred sea lion's head. He quickly snapped his head up to look at me, but I squished my footpaws together and stuck the landing on the back of his shell helmet, narrowly avoiding impaling my pawpads on one of the spikes.

"Hiding for long wasn't my plan," I replied, chuckling as I walked off of the younger Pokemon's head and down onto his hiking pack, sitting down and taking a deep, wheezy breath. He let out a snort, then sheathed his seamitars and shook his head glancing over his shoulder at me. I barely paid him any heed, snatching a canteen from my bag and downing as much as I could from the little leather bottle. "Mmph... hmm. Besides, don't tell Erin I said this, but tag kind of gets boring fast anyway."

"I swear, y'nearly get as bad as she does sometimes!" The water type grouched, albeit good-naturedly, offering me a half-smile before slapping his tail against the ground. Walking backwards a bit, he turned to stare back the way we came, the grass having been trampled from our chase. "Hmph... an' where th'heck did she go, anyway? She ran off an' never came back."

"That's because I led you in the complete opposite direction, hahahah!" I chuckled, patting the explorer's neck before sitting up a bit straighter and peering around the area. The plains spread out far and wide, with the mountain range rising up on one side and a smaller, rocky outcrop poking up above the hills back the way we had came. Cyan looked around with me, dusting his front paws off before stroking his mustache in thought. "Since Rose went after Erin, I figured we'd look for the pond a bit on our own. I definitely don't see anything like it around here, though..."

"Well then, let's jus' keep moseyin' an' get it done," Cyan replied, marching past the brush and looking around for a suitable pace to investigate.

The brush continued to grow taller and taller the deeper we got into the fields, until it almost reached the tops of the Samurott's legs, and sunflowers grew above the greenery, rising high and proud into the air, fringed by small blooms of purple that peeked out from the lush foliage. Turning around on my teammate's hiking pack, I glanced around, not seeing anything in particular that marked the pond we searched for. Another round of hot winds blew over us, ruffling my torsofur, but I cocked my head to listen when the faint sound of rustling, shaking grass caught my ear.

"Hang on," I said, dropping my voice low and tapping the back of Cyan's helmet. He slowed to a stop, turning to look at me with furrowed brows. "Do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" He barked, immediately bringing a paw up, ready to draw a blade at a moment's notice.

I hunched my neck forward somewhat, half-annoyed and half-amused at his loud reply, and scanned over the wild grass to see if anyone was following us. A tense silence settled over the two of us, staying completely still and looking this way and that, ready for anything...

"Ohhhh, there you two are!" I swiveled around and stared as Erin's head abruptly poked up from a patch of the brush, bits of grass and tiny sticklers clinging to her whiskers as she waded her way over to us. Cyan perked up, making a half-circle to face the Mienshao, and I swung my legs around and hopped off of the water type's back, landing softly in the shrubbery as I waved at the other fighting type. "You two got really really far from us, wow!"

"No kidding." I grinned slightly, folding my arms against my blunted chestspike and nodding, letting myself relax as the younger Pokemon approached us. "Is Rose following you? Or did you two find the pond?"

"We found it, we found it!" Erin replied excitedly, swinging her fur sleeves around and gesturing us to come along. "Rose said she'd stay there and she told me to find you and show you the way. Before it gets dark, c'mon, let's gooo!"

"Alright," I said, glancing at Cyan, then back at Erin, a confident smile on my muzzle. "Lead the way!"

* * *

By the time we reached the pond, the sun was setting, the calm water tinted a fiery orange as it reflected the evening sky, the Drenched Bluff coming into view on the horizon as Cyan, Erin and I wandered down one last hill. A large, telltale tree rose up from the dirt, with a few old stumps dotted around it, and I quickly jogged over to my partner when I spotted her sitting a few steps away. Slowing to a stop, I gave the cream-furred fox an affectionate pat, eliciting a grateful hum from her in response.

"So this is the place...?" I thought aloud as I gazed across the pleasant clearing, the wind and heat no longer as blistering now that the sun was drooping out of sight, and Rose nodded, standing up and stretching herself out a bit, then trotting over to the large standing stone. I glanced at Cyan and Erin, who were heading right for the pond to get a few drinks of water, then walked alongside the Ninetales, who was nosing at the bark of a particularly dead tree. "It's certainly pretty, huh? We'll have to remember later if we ever want to go picnicking or something, heh."

"Yeah... that would be really nice, hehe," Rose said wistfully, but she shook off the thought and gave me a nudge afterward, poking her nose towards the stump. "Here, Bill, do you think you could reach in here for me? I climbed up earlier and saw mister Gumshoos' bag inside, but I can't quite get it out on my own."

"You got it." Cricking my neck, I heaved myself on top of the trunk, leaning over to peer inside of the hollowed-out log. Sure enough, even in the fading light, I spied a worn satchel tucked away in a small hole in the dirt. Laying flat on the wood, I stretched my arms out as far as I could... and sighed in relief when I managed to swat at the satchel's strap, grabbing ahold of it and scrambling my way back down to the dirt. "Hoo! There we go, okay."

Rose smiled in anticipation, taking a step back as I set the bag down in front of us, her nine fluffy tails waving up and down all the while. Peeling the leather flap open, I reached into the bag, brushing past a couple of berries, then some coins and – ahh, there it was! Wrapping my paw around the rolled-up parchment, I drew it out, starting to pant again from the heat as a slight ache rolled through my mind.

"What's it say?" My partner trotted over to me, unable to contain her eager curiosity as I unfurled the scroll, squatting down and laying it out flat for both of us to see. Reaching up, I scratched idly at the back of my neck, my pawspike bumping against my aura tassels. Clearing my throat with a quick cough, I began to read:

"To Team Returners... if my hopes hold out, and it is truly you that is reading this message, then thank you for believing Gumshoos' story. I know he can seem unreliable at times." Rose and I shared a mutual glance at that, but I returned my focus to the letter shortly afterward. "I will keep things brief. I am in the middle of an investigation of an ancient human ruin. My two associates have told me they know you, and recommended that I ask for your help with a problem. With luck, we should be able to meet each other soon, and I can fully explain what I need your help with. If you are Team Returners, then you will know where to find me. From, the Chronicler."

I frowned, the aching in my head getting a bit worse as I read over the small, rather scrabbled print, sliding the letter and Gumshoos' satchel over to Rose in the meantime. Reaching up, I rubbed at my temples, closing my eyes and taking a deep breath.

"Hmm..." My partner hummed thoughtfully, reading over the letter a second time. "We'll know where to find him...? What do you think he means, Bill?"

I turned my head to answer her, and then the world went dark.

Then, suddenly, a flash of light – and the sound of voices.

_"That's all you're gonna write?"_

_"Yeah, that's all."_

_"But that doesn't make sense! How're they gonna find you if you don't tell 'em to meet you at the Drenched Bluff?"_

_"Heh... it has to do with one of the Pokemon who's part of Team Returners. I told you he's a human who was turned into a Pokemon, right?"_

_"Yeah, but... how's that help them know where to go? Couldn't we have just gone to Treasure Town and told them?"_

_"N-No, I... don't think that'd be a good idea... but anyway, aside from being an explorer, one of the leaders of Team Returners has a special ability. And, with a little luck, just sending them this letter will be enough. Now c'mon, junior, it's time you got to bed."_

_"Aww... alright. Can I keep the fire going? It's kind of cold in here tonight."_

_"Sure thing, junior, as long as it's not burning too bright. I'll be back soon."_

Suddenly, there was another flash of light, and...

"Bill... Bill, wake up!"

My eyes shot wide open as an instinctive jolt ran through my nerves, shaking me out of my unconscious trance, and I gazed up towards the darkening sky; Rose, Cyan and Erin all stared down at me, concern etched deeply on their features. As I sat up, my partner gently nuzzled me, while the two younger Pokemon took a couple steps back and sighed in relief, Cyan slapping his tail against the ground in the meantime.

"What happened, Bill?" Erin piped up; I tried not to wince at how loudly she spoke, despite my headache rapidly fading away. "Did'ja get dehydrated or something? As soon as you fainted, we ran right over!"

"No, it..." I shook my head, mulling over what I'd heard in the vision, heart beating quicker in realization. I glanced at Rose and shook my head in wonder. "It was a Dimensional Scream, and this Chronicler guy wanted me to have one so we'd learn where to meet him."

"What...!?" The Ninetales breathed in, her expression turning utterly shocked, and she quickly sat down next to me and leaned in, planting a paw on my lap as she snuggled close, her blue scarf tickling at my shoulder. Her tails curled and uncurled nervously, and I reached up to wrap a reassuring arm around her. "That's... oh my goodness. H-How long has it been since you had one, Bill? And why would he do that instead of just telling us?"

"Wait, y'mean those weird dream things y'got back when th'two o'you were apprentices still?" Cyan asked, reaching into his helmet to scratch behind his stubby ears, then pulling his hiking pack off of his back and letting it flop to the ground with a heavy thud. Erin sat down next to his bag, rooting through some of its pockets as the Samurott began to make camp, scraping bark from the stumps to serve as firewood. "What'd y'see?"

"I didn't see anything, but I heard his voice," I replied with a shake of my head, aura tassels bumping against the treasure bag, and I slowly slid the straps off of my shoulders, calming down and settling in for the night. Rose smiled softly at me, then walked over to the growing pile of tinder that our teammate was making, crouching low and readying herself to spit embers. "He didn't want to go into town for some reason, but..."

I glanced up, my gaze turning towards the gray, craggy outcrop off on the horizon, tiny streams glittering in the fading light. "But I know where he is."


	2. Drenched! Soaking Spelunking Through the Bluff!

"Are y'sure that this is th'place, Bill?" Cyan thought aloud, peering all around as we strode towards the Drenched Bluff, the damp, mossy dirt squishing and squelching messily underfoot, the sounds of trickling water drifting through the otherwise-silent air. I glanced over my shoulder at the Samurott, my gaze briefly lingering on the sun as it gradually peeked above the eastern mountain range, its fiery light spreading throughout the teal-tinged sky. The water type lightly smacked his fan-shaped tail against the ground, leaving a slight indent in between his pawprints. "But why would th'Chronicler want t'meet us here? This place's jus' a couple hours from home!"

"Heh, when I had the Dimensional Scream, someone else asked the same question," I replied with a shake of my head, reaching back to brush my aura tassels back behind my shoulders afterward. My ears twitched when I heard Rose stifle a laugh, and I turned to look at my partner, narrowly seeing her duck her head into her blue scarf. My tail wagged, and I tugged on the straps of our treasure bag, giving our Exploration Team badge a quick polish with a paw. "But yeah, the voice said the Chronicler was going to be hiding out here in the Drenched Bluff... for, uh, for some reason."

"Well that's just silly!" Erin exclaimed matter-of-factly, her whiskers twitching as she shook her head. The Mienshao hastily tied her fur sleeves up, then pulled a smooth stone from her fanny-pack, slipping it into her makeshift sling to test the weight. She paused for a moment mid-whirl, then giggled quietly under her breath. "Heehee, or maybe it's just so super-duper important that letting any other Pokemon find out about it wouldn't be good!"

"That sounds more likely to me..." Rose trailed off, lightly pawing at a moss-covered rock as she spoke, her nine fluffy tails waving up and down in the air as she pawed lightly at the soft lichen. A faint, damp breeze sweep down from the top of the bluff and bluster over us, and I looked over at the Ninetales when she trotted over to me, a slightly-anxious expression on her muzzle. "Nobody knows who they are exactly, after all, even though they've written books and everything. I hope that we're not putting them in any danger..."

"I'm sure it'll be fine, Rose," I said, reaching out to give her a reassuring pat, and she let out a low sigh, smiling gratefully at me before focusing back on the path leading into the bluff itself, winding up and around past tunnels and outcrops. Peering around the area again, I folded my arms and idly tapped my pawspikes against my torsofur. "We've been here plenty of times anyway, so it shouldn't take that long to sniff him out, wherever he is."

"Mmm, that's true." Rose padded forward, her ponytail of headfur slipping over her side in the breeze, and she craned her neck to look skyward, the very top of the hill coming into view slowly, but surely, as morning came. She took a deep breath to calm herself, then smiled a bit more warmly, turning around to look at Cyan, Erin and I. "Yeah... yeah, we can do it. Is everyone ready, then?"

"I've been ready!" Cyan grunted, balling his front paws into fists and rolling his eyes, eliciting a giggle from Erin in the process. "Now let's quit gabbin' an' get goin'!"

The water type stomped forward, pushing past us and heading towards one of the trails, and I strolled up to my partner even as they both headed onward. We both shared a determined nod before following after our two younger teammates, breaking into a brisk jog to catch up with them, trickles of water coming down from high above us.

* * *

## Drenched! Soaking Spelunking Through the Bluff!

* * *

I hunched forward, ducking underneath a few rocks jutting out from the walls as we made our way up the trail, moss and tiny flowers caked between the cobbled stones. An hour had already passed since we first entered into the mystery dungeon, but the waterlogged hillside seemed to blend together, small paths leading to small clearings with more small paths leading away again. A couple of gray, misty clouds had rolled in as we walked, blocking the sun and thankfully keeping the weather from getting too hot. Cyan and Erin splashed around a couple steps ahead, the latter scooping stones and other things up from the damp ground and slipping them into her belt pouch.

"Finding anything interesting, Erin?" I called out, reaching up to rub at our Exploration Team badge as I spoke, and the Mienshao swiveled around on her heels, nearly losing her balance as she started to walk backwards.

"Not really!" She cheerfully replied, lifting her paws and holding a couple of water-smoothed pebbles up above her head, waving them back and forth a few times before tucking them into her tied fur sleeves. She gave the stones a quick spin to test their weight, nodding afterward. "No orbs or seeds or anything, it's all rocks."

"Just be careful and watch where you're stepping, okay?" Rose chimed in, cocking her head slightly as she looked towards the younger Pokemon, gesturing at her to turn back around with a shake of her muzzle. Erin smiled and nodded earnestly, then spun back around, her tail and whiskers swishing through the air as she jogged ahead to hunt for more stuff.

Turning my head, I glanced at the Ninetales out of the corner of my eyes, watching her walk slowly and daintily behind me, being cautious to move from one patch of moss to another in order to keep her footing. Slowing my pace somewhat, I waited until my partner had caught up with me, scanning around the Drenched Bluff in the meantime. The sunlight waxed for a moment as the clouds drifted away, only to darken again not a second later; I glanced up when a quiet screech caught my ear, chuckling under my breath when I spied a few wild Wingull circling about.

"So, uh..." I started lamely, bringing my arms back behind my head, aura tassels bumping and slipping out between my pawspikes as I glanced at my partner. "Mind if I ask something?"

"Mmm?" Rose perked up, then smiled and nodded at me, her tails swishing back and forth, their orange tips brushing up against my side. The cream-furred fox relaxed a little bit, cocking her head in curiosity as she replied. "Bill, you know you don't need to ask that, hehe. What is it?"

"The Chronicler," I answered without missing a beat, taking a deep breath of the misty morning air and sighing, briefly checking on Cyan and Erin – the former crabbing at the latter about something as she scampered about – before continuing. "What all do you know about him?"

"Oh!" Rose's face brightened in understanding, her expression turning thoughtful as she mulled the question over, digging her paws into a couple clumps of grass and soil as the path started to slope higher. I crouched lower and bent my knees as I pushed against the rising hill, my ears flicking as I heard Rose dig her paws in, her tiny claws scraping against the rocks. "Well, I already told you most of what I know. They study ancient ruins, and they've written some books about their research. They know a lot about humans in particular, though nobody knows exactly how they found everything out."

"Huh," I grunted, my tail wagging back and forth as a shadow suddenly passed over us, a large chunk of slate jutting out from the side of the bluff above us. I looked up at it, furrowing my brow when I spotted a crumbling hole just underneath the slab, a miniature, underground brook flowing from the gap and cascading down the mountain in a sparkling waterfall. "He's clever enough, planning on me having a Dimensional Scream to figure out where we are, at least. First time anyone's tried that to get our attention, huh?"

"Yeah... though it still spooked me when you just up and fainted like that." A bashful blush flared onto the Ninetales' cheeks, and she bowed her head. I chuckled at that, bringing a paw over to tousle her headfur, and she leaned into my touch, looking forwards as the slope finally evened back out. "It's been so long since you last had a Dimensional Scream at all, I'm amazed that the Chronicler even thought to try and contact us that way. They must have been planning this for a while..."

"Either that or he's desperate to keep all this a secret," I replied, looking over the edge of the cliff at the ground below, the trail having risen just above the low-hanging mists. Water swirled its way down the outcrops, and feral Pokemon gathered around the ponds that formed at the very bottom of the mountain. "Last time we tried to keep something a secret that badly, it, uh... it nearly didn't end well."

"Mmm, that's true," Rose hummed under her breath, but she smiled shortly afterward, a couple of her tails swishing sideways and curling around mine. "But things turned out okay in the end, right?"

"Whooaah-!"

We both jumped at the sound of a yelp, followed by a loud, crashing splash, and Rose and I looked up in concern, then broke into a jog, water slowly splashing around our legs as the path through the gorge descended into a flowing, ankle-deep creek. It didn't take long before Cyan and Erin came back into view, and I winced internally when I spotted the Mienshao laying flat in the puddles, a pained expression on her snout. Rose gasped quietly, then pushed past me, slowing to a stop at the fighting type's side and scooping one of her arms up onto her back.

"Oh no, Erin...!" My partner cooed comfortingly, nudging the pink mink with her backside as she and Cyan helped her get back up off of the ground. Erin whimpered under her breath, but shook her head a few times to snap herself out of her stupor, staring down at her now-sopping-wet front afterward. "Are you okay?"

"Y-Yeah, I think so!" The younger explorer replied hastily, cocking her head a bit as she watched the water drip from her fur and get caught up in the stream. I walked up behind them, giving Erin a firm pat on her shoulder as she shimmied a few times, giving herself a quick once-over. It didn't take long for her to regain her usual cheer, her mouth curling into a bubble smile as she stomped around in circles. "The water feels a lot stronger here than it did before so I guess it must have tripped me up, heeheehee!"

"Y'sure you're goin' t'be alright?" Cyan grumbled, letting go of his friend and letting his front paws drop back into the drink, his gaze wandering as he looked over the crevice trail leading further into the bluff. "Hmph, maybe you'd be better off stayin' on my back if th'current keeps getting' stronger an' stronger!"

"But then I'll have to get off anytime I want to pick up a-" Erin halted mid-sentence, her tail twitching this way and that as she looked around the area. Not a second later, she started to skip away, her damp fur sleeves and her whiskers bouncing as she splashed her way through the shallow puddles. "Ooh, look look look, over here!"

"Erin, wait-!" I yelled at the Mienshao, but she simply turned around and beckoned us to come with her; I shook my head, unable to keep myself from chuckling, and the three of us gave chase, sunlight glittering against chunks of rock as the pink mink ducked her head into a modest gap that had been carved out of the hillside. She paused and waited for us before going any further, though, rocking back and forth on her heels as Cyan, Rose and I caught up to her.

"See?" She said triumphantly, wiggling her paws at the ground. I turned where she pointed, folding my arms as I looked at the audibly-burbling brook that flowed around us. "I betcha this'll take us somewhere, right?"

"Hmm..." I scratched at my chin, then dipped one of my paws into the water, feeling the current whip and swirl around my wrist as it rushed out of the tunnel. Taking a deep breath, I concentrated, feeling energy flow down my arm as I focused my aura, a small sphere forming in the palm of my paw. It gave off a faint light that reflected off of the rocks, and I glanced at Rose as she stepped up to me. "The flow's pretty darn strong, so this tunnel probably goes right through to the deepest part of the dungeon, or at least it'll bring us in the right direction. What do you think, Rose?"

"It's worth a shot," The fire type replied with a short nod, nosing at her blue scarf to press it flat against her scruff of neckfur. "Let's go and see where it leads!"

I nodded in turn, sidling up against the wall and gesturing at her to lead the way. With a smile, she blew a few strands of her headfur out of her face, bent her legs low, and started to shuffle forward, her tails curling tightly against her back as if to avoid the water at all costs. Erin energetically hopped in place a couple times, then went after her, the two of them quickly crawling out of sight. I glanced at Cyan, who grunted and pointed forward, and I nodded, crouching down and heading after our teammates, keeping one paw pressed firmly against the wall as I held the aura sphere aloft.

"Sheesh, this is a tight fit," I muttered to myself, feeling the tips of my ears graze against the stones as I waddled along, glancing over my shoulder to make sure that I hadn't left Cyan behind. The Samurott, thankfully, was squirming close behind me, laying completely flat on his belly as he struggled to drag himself along, his hiking pack scraping on the ceiling of the tunnel. Despite myself, I grinned, reaching my free paw out towards him. "Need some help?"

"Bah, jus' keep movin'!" The blue-furred sea lion rolled his eyes, giving me a dismissive wave before going back to crawling, scrabbling at the ground and pulling forward. My grin widened at that, and I turned back around, holding my aura sphere out and moseying onward, hearing Rose and Erin's paws padding through the water all the while.

* * *

"Hmm..." Rose hummed in thought. "How long do you think we've been in here?"

I glanced over at the cream-furred fox as she spoke, my ears flicking as we waded through the cave system, her eyes shining slightly in the dim light. The tunnel had opened up, if only just slightly, rising up higher and higher and carrying white, foamy froth down from wherever the brook was flowing from. Sunbeams streamed in from tiny gaps in the ceiling, illuminating the thicker clumps of moss growing over the submerged rocks, and I dug my pawpads into the soft plants as they squished underneath our footpaws. Cyan and Erin kept hot on our heels, the former's shell helmet occasionally scraping against the ceiling and making us jump.

"Not sure," I replied, trying to stand up somewhat, only for my ears to fold over against my head as I bumped right into the top of the tunnel; grunting and rubbing my scalp, I crouched back down, feeling a slight ache throb through my thighs. "Seems like it's been a while, though, so we're probably getting close to the top."

"I don't remember the Drenched Bluff being so big..." The Ninetales said, her tails still curled up tightly to keep them from getting wet. I reached out and gave them a quick fluff, chuckling when they twitched in approval. "I know we're going upward, but it feels like this tunnel just keeps going."

"Well, we usually don't take the underground route, either," I remarked, brushing my aura tassels back behind my shoulders, then tugging on the straps of the treasure bag as I felt it weigh against my back. Rose tilted her head from side to side, nodding in agreement afterward, starting to raise her legs out of the creek as it started to deepen. "Who knows, maybe this is actually a shortcut-"

Before I could finish my sentence, I felt my footpaw thud against something smooth and prickly – much smoother and pricklier than the grainy rocks and moss – and I froze right in my tracks. A nervous twinge ran through my veins as the thing dislodged from the ground and loudly scratched against the rocks, my partner giving a start and snapping her head towards me.

"Huh?" I peered over my shoulder at Cyan when he barked out a grunt, his voice echoing around the passage as he reached for his seamitars. "What th'heck was that?"

"I think I hit something." I waved circles with one paw and gestured into the darkness with the other, the aura sphere's gentle light shining down on the bluish rocks below us. Cyan held the handle of his blade a little bit longer before relaxing, Erin rocking back and forth on her heels in the meantime. "Didn't feel like a rock, but I think it was clinging on and I knocked it loose. Anyone want to check and see what it was?"

"Ooh!" Erin chirped, bending over a bit and reaching into the water with gusto. When she hopped back up, she was holding a small, wild Pokemon with both paws, her tied fur sleeves swishing around as it wriggled and writhed against her grasp. I turned around and brought my aura sphere over, the light reflecting against the creature's silvery shell, with a purple front, tail, and two thin antennae dangling from its forehead. "Is this it?"

"Yep..." I quirked an eyebrow upward as I leaned over to stare at the weird little Pokemon; it stared right back at me with frightened yellow eyes, his stubby legs audibly, and nervously, clattering inside of its shell. "A Wimpod... I guess it must have been sleeping down here, probably thought nobody was going to bother it so deep underground."

"C'mon, Erin, put the poor thing back down," Rose added, trotting up to my side and gazing worriedly at the unfortunate Pokemon, giving it a comforting smile. It stared blankly at her, even as she continued. "Can't you see how scared it is? If we let it be, it'll probably leave us alone, too."

"Aww, okay..." Erin gave the small and quite spooked Pokemon a quick pat before easing it back down into the water, giggling under her breath as it let out a series of awkward, hopeful chirps. "There you go, little guy!"

The moment she loosened her grip on the Wimpod, it bolted right into the current, crashing face-first into my knees before rushing past me and disappearing into the darkness up ahead. Its tiny legs sloshed about, loud enough to be heard even after it had vanished from sight, and I narrowed my eyes, trying to catch any last glimpses of it as it skittered away. Smiling confidently, I glanced back at my teammates, shaking my head in the direction the wild Pokemon had fled to with a quick shake of my head.

"Well, that's a good sign," I said, giving the ceiling a quick tap with my pawspikes before crawling further into the tunnel again, trying to pick up the pace as I listened to the Wimpod's splashing. "Let's keep moving and tail it, it'll probably lead us right to the exit!"

The four of us quickly formed up, listening to the echoing splashes as we waded up the gentle slope, the light from my aura sphere flickering against the dark, wet stones. My ears twitched when a rush of air swept between them, and I glanced towards the ceiling, which was starting to open up more and more the further up we went. Nudging Rose, I jabbed an elbow skyward to point it out, and she looked, then nodded, a sparkle of realization playing in her eyes. Standing up bit by bit, the both of us led the charge, sharing a mutual sigh of relief when the cave widened enough for us to stop crawling.

Soon enough, a tiny pinprick of light appeared in the distance, the splashing of the Wimpod drowned out by our own movements, and we sped up just a little bit more, Erin cheerfully humming to herself as she hopped between Rose and I. Cyan gave her tail a quick tug to keep her from running off, and I chuckled... then blinked when I caught a glint of light out of the corner of my vision. Slowing down for just a moment, I turned to check on the thing, sucking in a breath at the sight of another sleeping Wimpod.

"Woah, hang on, look..." I dropped my voice to a whisper, or at least as much of one as I could, considering the noise we were making. As we passed the wild Pokemon by, I pointed my free paw at it, only to spot another one, and then another one, clinging to the walls of the tunnel. As we drew nearer to the sunlight, the more of the shelled bugs we saw.

"More o'these things?" Cyan said gruffly, supplies shaking and clunking in his hiking pack, and he hunched forward, his eyes flicking this way and that as he, too, noticed the feral, nesting Pokemon. I narrowed my eyes, the sunlight growing blindingly bright as we neared the end of the tunnel, and Rose, Cyan, and Erin ducked their heads or looked away, all of us making a mad dash for the outside. "But if they're all stickin' 'round here, then th'tunnel mus' lead right into-"

I let out a loud, sputtering yelp when the ground suddenly disappeared out from under us, feeling myself tip right over from the momentum, my eyes going wide and then scrunching shut from the sun glaring down on the water's surface. Rose squealed in surprise as well when she bumped into me, followed by Cyan and Erin both barreling into our backs and sending all of us into the drink.

Plunging into the depths of the pool – my aura dissipating as I lost my concentration – I simply floundered for a few moments, nerves tensing up as I went completely under. The others flailed about all around me, kicking and splashing, and I opened my eyes just a crack, staring blearily at the deep, clear blueness. Reaching out with both arms, I pushed into a breaststroke, swimming a short ways away before turning and kicking higher, my chest growing tight from the exertion.

A sharp gasp escaped my throat the moment I surfaced, a jolt running through my muscles as they relaxed, and I wheezed, content to do nothing but tread water as I caught my breath. Rubbing trickles of water from my face, I surveyed the clearing, nodding to myself when I noticed Rose doggy paddling over to me, her now-soaking tails dragging along behind her.

"Bill!" She called to me, trying in vain to blow a few damp strands of her headfur out of her eyes, and I leisurely swam over to close the gap, our heads gently and affectionately bumping together. The cream-furred fox was breathing hard, but smiling, glancing this way and that as she looked around the pool. "Phew... are you okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay," I replied, giving the Ninetales a quick, tender nuzzle before brushing her ponytail back behind her ears, earning a grateful chuckle for the trouble. Peering past my partner, I smiled and waved to our two younger teammates, watching Cyan glide smoothly over to us while Erin clambered up onto his hiking pack. As we grouped back up, I looked around the pool again, a circle of solid rock rising just an inch or two above the calm, sun-warmed water, with the rest of the bluff surrounding us on all sides. "Wet, but okay. So where'd we end up?"

"Looks like some kind o'basin, or somethin'," Cyan answered, adjusting the fit of his shell helmet somewhat before thumbing towards the stone barrier. He threw Erin a half-glare when she reached out and tugged on the ends of his mustache, but shook his head and pointed outward at a small path leading up towards the peak. "Looks like we can get out o'here that way, though!"

The four of us nodded and swam for the ledge, pulling ourselves up... and then sliding down a rounded hill, tumbling into a heap onto the lower ground.

"Blaugh-" I spat out a mouthful of grit, wincing as my blunted chestspike skidded against the cobblestone, feeling my backpack bump against the back of my head as I finally came to a stop. Blinking a couple times, I glanced up at the mountaintops, then back down to the ground. Then, I groaned. "Oh, great...!"

Flowing bowls of water stuck out from the walls of the Drenched Bluff, streams and rivers surging over the edges and splashing down onto the ground, and high up above us, the misty clouds had at last disappeared, letting the sun shine brilliantly down onto the mystery dungeon. A pleasant, tranquil noise settled over the secluded pools, the sound of the water and distant, chirping birds melding together in quiet harmony. And spread across the lowest point of the canyon were numerous napping Wimpod, basking in the heat, one of them even laying just a hair's length from my muzzle.

"Ergh..." I heard Cyan grunt, and I hastily scrambled to get back onto my footpaws, easing myself away from the sleeping bug type before turning towards Rose and Erin and helping them up as well. The Samurott made an irritated growl when he noticed the silver shells littering the area. "Oh, y'gotta be kiddin' me! We're in a nest o'th'blasted things?"

"Shh, Cyan...!" Rose whispered pointedly, nudging the sea lion to get his attention, and she ducked her head into her sopping blue scarf for a second, shaking her paw to get him to quiet down. The Samurott let out a sigh, but relented, leaning low a bit and glancing around suspiciously, while Erin hopped on top of him again. "Keep your voices down... you might wake them up."

"Maybe if we ask nicely, they'll tell us where the Chronicler is, huh?" I quipped airily, spreading my arms and huddling the team together, and I stole a quick glimpse of the trail leading out of the canyon. Erin pulled a sling stone from her belt pouch and put it in one of her sleeves. It nearly slid off of her wet fur, and the pink mink pulled a silly face, putting the rock away before looking back at me. "Just take it slow and follow my lead. As long as we don't get too close to them, we should be alright."

Carefully, we began to sneak our way through the Wimpod nest, moving almost at a snail's pace as we stepped over, around, and in-between clusters of the wild Pokemon, leaving a trail of wet pawprints in our wake. Loose rocks and clumps of mud wiggled and crumbled under our weight, scattering about as we moved through the area, and I glanced towards one of the lower, nearby basins, a few rocks jutting up from the depths. Climbing up onto its ledge and stepping over a couple dozing Wimpod, I furrowed my brow when I spied an open patch of ground, bouncing on my tiptoes a bit before springing into the air.

I nearly lost my balance when I landed, sliding a short ways ahead on the damp cobblestone, swinging my arms in circles as I teetered and tottered. Then I felt a damp, but soft, coat of fur graze against my tailbone, propping me up and keeping me from falling over yet again. I sighed in relief and leaned forward, tracing a line with my eyes as my partner walked around to face me.

"Thanks, Rose." I smiled at the Ninetales, then looked back at our two other teammates. Erin jumped off of her friend's back, scampering cheerfully across the ledge before bounding over to Rose and I, leaving Cyan to stand and shoot an annoyed stare at the masses of sleeping bug types. I gave the younger explorer a quick wave as he scratched his chin in thought. "Can you make it, Cyan?"

"Yeah, yeah, don' get all wound up!" Cyan replied in a half-yell, half-mutter, stomping over to the basin, hopping up, and diving in with a loud. Waves rippled outward from the water type, flowing over the tiny, rocky islands poking up into the air and spattering into the cliffside.

I flinched at the noise, aura tassels slipping in front of my shoulders as I scanned around, making sure that none of the Wimpod had been shaken out of their slumber. My partner followed suit, stepping to Erin's side and turning around, checking back the way we had come. Thankfully, none of the little buggers seemed to stir at all, contentedly sleeping the afternoon away, and after a few tense seconds, I relaxed, letting go of a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Scratching my head, I grinned sheepishly at the Ninetales before looking back at Cyan.

An icy dread spread through my nerves when I saw one of the ridged rocks inside of the basin start to move, cutting through the surf like a blade through a berry and making a beeline for the Samurott. That was when I noticed the familiar, metallic sheen covering the silvery plates, and I inhaled sharply. Throwing caution to the wind, I raised my voice and yelled. "Behind you!"

Cyan turned his head and glared when he saw the wild Pokemon sneaking up on him, raising his hips and preparing to lash out with the bladed end of his tail. Before the creature could get close enough to strike, however, it burst out of the pool with a mighty leap, cresting high into the air and growled out an ear-splitting cry. The nest of Wimpod reacted almost instantly, shaking themselves awake and scuttling every which way, fleeing into the various water basins and squeaking in fear as they went.

"Scatter!" I blurted out, crouching low and taking a dive to get out of the feral Pokemon's way, Rose and Erin quickly rushing away as they, too, ran for cover. I slid across the damp rocks, feeling droplets pitter-patter down onto my tail and legs as our angry foe flew over us, and I hastily rolled onto my back, eyes narrowing.

The armored creature landed right in front of the trail leading out of the canyon, hunched over with its biggest arms spread wide; two other pairs were held close to its purple underbelly, protecting it from harm. Its silver shell gleamed had some visible wear and tear, but still gleamed menacingly in the sun. I glanced at Cyan for a moment as the water type get back out of the pool, drawing both of his seamitars and snorting.

Turning back, I took a defensive stance, digging my footpaws into the ground and bringing my arms up. Erin skipped a short distance away, trying to wring and wave her fur sleeves dry, while Rose shot our foe a determined glare from the opposite flank, energy flowing from the ground and the water and forming into a glowing, green ball between her jaws.

The Golisopod stared us down for a moment... and then it dashed forward with an angry snarl.

I swiftly stepped to the side, grimacing when the wild Pokemon slammed its fist into the ground where I had stood, bits of rock splintering into the air. Focusing my aura, I readied a metal claw and jabbed out, chipping away at its armor. The bug type chittered, rearing an arm back, but its eyes flicked elsewhere when it heard Cyan stampeding forward, his seamitars raised high. Jabbing a leg out instead, it swiveled in a circle; I barely had enough time to hop over its foot as swung around to deflect the incoming slash.

Both of the scallop blades clattered off of the Golisopod's wrist, the Samurott stepping back and readying another strike, and the wild Pokemon hissed, slamming its other set of claws into Cyan's face. The Samurott growled as he tried to get his balance back, teeth clenched in a defiant snarl; I ducked underneath the bug type's other arms and swung out with a couple more punches, taking a deep breath when I saw a few scales chip off of its sides. Its claws grazed against my ears, and I quickly zipped backwards, narrowly avoiding its grab.

An explosion of green, natural energy crashed into our foe's back, causing the feral creature to stagger somewhat, the energy leaving a heavy mark on its armor, and undoubtedly a bruise underneath it, too. I grinned and looked at Rose, her nine tails flared out dangerously as she ran towards us, embers spilling onto the ground as she readied a flamethrower next-

WHAM! The Golisopod rammed its knee into my midriff, winding me hard and knocking me away. The metal claws sprouting from my pawspikes dissipated instantly, and I felt myself fly backwards, the wet, rocky ground scraping against my fur before I finally skidded to a stop. "Ugh...!"

I stared, dazed, as the silver-shelled Pokemon roared furiously, spreading its multiple arms wide, then whirling back around and spewing a gout of water from its mandibles, faint wisps of steam rising from the liquid. Rose blanched, losing her concentration with a gasp as the wave of water crashed into her. Cyan, on the other hand, just ducked, letting out a cocky laugh as the scalding stream flowed over his helmet.

"Bah! Nice try, y'overgrown shrimp!" The sea lion roared, dragging the tip of his seamitars against the rocks before stomping forward and bringing them right into the wild Pokemon's exposed underside with a weighty smash. "I'll thrash y'til you're black an' blue!"

The Golisopod hissed in pain and stumbled a couple steps away from the Samurott, clutching its smaller arms close to its wounded stomach. Shaking myself back to my senses, I hopped back onto my footpaws, running towards Rose as our foe spewed out another torrent of scalding water. Scooping my arms underneath my stunned partner, I hefted her up – wincing as an ache pulsed through my bruised belly – and quickly got out of the water's way, letting Cyan hold his own in the meantime.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked hurriedly, setting the cream-furred fox down and kneeling at her side, quickly checking her over to make sure she wasn't too hurt. She didn't reply at first, simply and I brushed the flats of my pawspikes down her sides, hoping the cool metal would help take the edge off of any pain. "C'mon, Rose, speak to me."

"Y-Yeah... yeah, I'm okay," Rose finally stuttered after a second, flinching when I touched a spot on her hing leg, and I jerked my paw away, both of us standing up and turning to look at the wild Golisopod again. It held Cyan in a bladelock, the Samurott's seamitars trembling against the bug type's armored claws as they pushed and shoved each other. "What should we do...?"

When I opened my mouth to answer, a rock suddenly shot into view, thumping hard against the creature's silver shell. It blinked, briefly peeking to the side to see what was going on, only to let out an awkward cry when another pebble struck one of its eyes. I twisted around, grinning when I saw Erin whirling another stone around, her fur sleeves looking quite dry, if also more than a little ruffled.

"Take that, you big jerk!" The Mienshao cried, stomping on the ground a couple times, her tail and whiskers twitching as she ran over to us, waving her free arm all the while. "Now now now, go!"

The distraction was all Cyan needed, and the younger Pokemon let out a growl as he slammed his seamitars right between the creature's antennae. It crowed in pain, shards of its armor scattering about as it reached up to massage its face; Rose and I looked at each other, and when I nodded, she smiled knowingly. Stepping back, I brought my arms back, my aura swirling between my paws as I focused hard, while my partner bowed low, her throat rumbling as she stoked her inner fire.

"Cyan! Out of the way!" I shouted to my teammate as I felt my aura tassels hover up into the air. The water type snapped his head towards us, seamitars held up and ready for anything, but when he noticed our stances, he spun around with a thump, quickly marching a few paces away.

Just a couple seconds more, and I felt a instinctive twitch run through my nerves, the swirling blue energy getting blindingly bright in the corner of my vision. Rose shook for a moment, her nine damp tails lightly nudging against me, and I nodded as she let out a determined yell. "Now!"

I reared back and flung the aura sphere with all my might, while my partner stood up tall and proud as she let loose a massive plume of fire. The two attacks bumped and collided with each other, circling around each other until they seemed to meld together, forming a massive, rolling fireball.

The Golisopod had no time to get out of the way, only realizing what was happening when it was already too late: the blaze crashed right into the bug type's stomach and erupted with a loud bang, sending the wild Pokemon hurtling across the canyon. It let out a short screech as it crashed into the wall of a lower basin, flipping over the ledge and crumpling into the water in an unconscious heap.

After a few seconds, I exhaled, my shoulders slumping and my aura tassels flopping back down atop the treasure bag, the adrenaline of battle slowly starting to drain away. Rose leaned against my side, our fur brushing together as we relaxed, and Cyan and Erin grouped back up with us not long after, the Mienshao rooting through her belt pouch as she ran up to us. "Are you okay, Bill, Rose, Cyan? Here, lemme get some oran medicine out really fast-"

"Hold up now," I replied with a shake of my head, stopping the fighting type right in her tracks. As Cyan sheathed his seamitars, I pointed over to the trail leading out of the canyon, the others turning that way as well. "Let's get out of here first, huh?"

And with that, I started to stagger forward, one arm held around Rose's back as I led the way.

* * *

The four of us shared an enormous sigh of utter relief when, at last, we crested the hill leading up and away from the Wimpod nest, spotting a smaller, cozier clearing just a short ways away. Small oaks grew out from the cliffside, their roots and trunks slanting through the dirt as they formed a natural canopy. The now late-afternoon sunlight filtered through the leaves, forming a mottled pattern on the ground, and I sighed, dragging my footpaws as I plodded underneath one of the trees and sat down against the wall.

"Ahh... hoo..." I took a deep breath, feeling Rose ease down and rest her head on my lap, and I smiled gratefully at Erin when I saw the pink mink tug her belt pouch around her waist again, opening it up and pulling out a vial of deep blue liquid. "I'll take that medicine now, Erin, thanks. What an exhausting trip."

"If you could get my hind leg, too, Erin, that would be great," Rose chimed in, flopping onto her side and looking up at the blanket of branches above us. I opened my mouth as Erin poured in a small dose of the oran concoction, shuddering happily as I gulped it down, and our younger teammate moved on to my partner afterward. "Whew... it's just been one thing after another today. I hope we haven't gone too far inside..."

"Aww, I bet that everything'll be just fine!" Erin said cheerfully, pressing a bandage against the mouth of the bottle and quickly turning it up and down, staining the gauze with the processed berry juice. Cyan scratched at his short mustache a little bit, then strode over and sat down, plucking his shell helmet off and lightly spraying it with a water gun. "You'll see, we'll take a rest and perk right up and find 'em in no time flat! After all, that's what explorers do!"

As if on cue, a low, menacing growl rang out from somewhere in the distance, accompanied by a sudden rush of wind blustering down from the very top of the bluff, the higher boughs shaking and rustling from the breeze. "GARURURURURUHHHHH..."

Cyan tensed up, then grabbed his helmet by the horn at the front, brandishing it like a club as he roared out, making his exhaustion evident. "For Arceus' sake, what now!?"

The growling faded away at that, a quiet settling over the clearing again... and then someone new yelled back in response, sounding unnaturally rough, though unmistakably male. My ears flicked at the noise, and I sat up a bit, an eyebrow quirking upward as I listened intently, curling my paws into fists. "Hey! Did I hear you say you're an exploration team?"

"Yeah!" Erin piped up, hopping up and down as she called out in turn, jamming both paws into her belted pouch when she realized it was still open, making sure that nothing had accidentally flown out. Quickly closing her medicine bag back up, she climbed onto Cyan's back and stood up on her tiptoes, looking around the mossy, rocky valley. The Samurott narrowed his eyes halfway and shot her an unamused stare. She didn't notice. "We're one of the best exploration teams ever!"

"You are, huh?" The unseen Pokemon replied, voice layered thick with skepticism. "Well, quit whatever you're doing and get lost! This is my territory now!"

"Oh yeah? An' who decided that?" Cyan barked back defiantly, slipping his shell helmet back over his stubby ears and slapping his tail against the ground. "'Sides, we've taken down outlaws an' been all 'round th'Southern Continent! So unless you're lookin' for a fight, how 'bout y'bug off!"

The conversation trailed off for a few seconds, but then the other voice spoke up again, this time scoffing quite clearly. "Hmph! Those are some big claims. But I bet you're in no position to go running your mouth if you were taking a rest!"

Cyan and Erin both opened their mouths to reply, then slowly closed them back up again when the truth of the remark sank in. Instead, Rose was the one to reply this time, slowly rolling around and standing back up, trotting a couple steps away before calling out firmly. I couldn't help but crack a smile as she spoke, my heart skipping a beat at her declaration. "We're Team Returners, the ones who saved the world five years ago! We're here searching for someone who wants to meet with us, so if you let us rest, we'll be out of your way shortly, I promise!"

Silence reigned, the wind whistling through the clearing, a faint, peachy glow shining down from the sky as the late afternoon gave way to evening. Rose stood resolute, her matted ponytail of headfur falling down the side of her neck, and I rolled onto my footpaws, dusting myself off, then giving our Exploration Team badge a quick shine.

"You're..." My eyes widened as the hidden Pokemon paused – the deep, rough accent was gone, replaced by a smoother, more natural sound that I recognized. "You're Team Returners?"

"Yeah," I said, bringing my arms up to my muzzle as I called out. "And you are?"

The sound of footsteps echoed down from one of the trails, and soon enough, a blue-plated Pokemon hiked his way down from one of the other trails, pushing his way through the shrubbery and into the little opening. Red-and-white feathers fringed his upper body, his eyes poked out from the sides of his head, and he idly tapped one of his claws on a large messenger bag slung around his neck. I grinned, folding my arms against my blunted chestspike as I nodded at him – he certainly looked like who we were looking for.

"So you really did find me..." He breathed out, briefly looking at Cyan and Erin before locking onto Rose and I, his expression a mixture of joy, nervousness and sheer wonderment. "Well, er... hello there, Team Returners. My name is Armaldo, and I am the Chronicler."


End file.
